(get it? instead of book binding? look I just think I’m clever sometimes)
I enjoy this quote by Brandon Sanderson.
Books are like shoes, they’re good for everyone but if you have one that fits wrong, it’s going to be painful and you’d be better off without. You just have to find the right fit.
I’m going to expand on that a little bit.
Shoes are quite important. I’ve heard that if you have to leave your house in an emergency, the first thing you should make sure you’re wearing is a good pair of shoes. If something happens and you can’t go back inside and your feet get compromised, you’re in a heap of trouble. Sure, you can go barefoot all you want. I have an uncle who went barefoot for a year in college just to see if he could. That doesn’t mean barefoot is better than shoes. It just means you can adapt.
Different shoes are good for different things. A shoe that’s good for ballroom dance isn’t comfortable for wearing around the house. A running shoe will serve you well on the track but not very well if you’re mucking out a barn.
Everyone has different taste in shoes. Some people like flashy, some like utilitarian, some swear by Crocs or Uggs and some will never touch them. Some people know how to balance in high heels, some people won’t wear more than flats.
I think it should be pretty obvious where I’m going with this but I’m going to write the metaphor out anyway.
Books are kind of for your brain what shoes are for your feet. Similarly, books work for your mental/educational health similar things to what shoes do for your physical health.
Can you go without books? Sure, you can. It’s technically the natural state of life. However, your mental health will be better if you find a good shoe. Not just any book will do though; if you find a book that doesn’t work for you, you’re going to find the experience painful and sometimes you might think you’re better off abandoning them. But here’s the key, there are more types of books than there are types of shoes and you will find a perfect fit in there somewhere. And with the right books, you’re better off than you are bare-brained.
A good book will be a comfort when you’re upset, will expand your mind, will help you empathize with others, will help you see the world in new ways, make you laugh and cry and just give you a good emotional and mental workout.
Not all books are for all times though. I love the Terry Pratchett series of books but one day, when I was feeling some big things about police and so forth (George Floyd era), I picked up Thud and found I just couldn’t take it that day. I needed a house slipper, not a work shoe, handy and comfortable though that shoe is most of the time. I tend to avoid the heavy-work-shoe books most of the time these days because when I’m looking to put on a book, I need something comforting, adventurous, and not adding to my daily stress. That doesn’t mean those shoes/books are bad, it just means they don’t fit right now.
One thing that doesn’t quite suit the analogy is that books can come in different ways of consuming them and you can’t really put shoes on your ears and expect them to be as effective. Reading audiobooks is great. Graphic novels are awesome. One of the most thought-provoking, heartfelt series I’ve read was a manga. If you find a book style that works for you, use it! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t use it just because they think everyone should be wearing dress shoes and you happen to prefer hand-decorated Vans.
And importantly, the book that is your taste and your size is not going to be the same as someone else’s. You’ll match someone, I’m sure; if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t tell you there’s a book for anyone and everyone out there. But just because a book perfectly suits you, it doesn’t mean it’s a perfect book for everyone. Every time I see something on the lines of “What is a book everyone should read in their life?” I see lots of good suggestions and lots of books I’ve tried and don’t like and lots of books that just… aren’t that great in my opinion. I have two books that I think belong on that list and they are as follows: The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Harold and the Purple Crayon. Why? Well, I think they’re both very intelligent condensations of some different ideas; one teaches so many things in just a few pages, from metamorphosis to counting to days of the week to colors. The other is a beautiful celebration of imagination and finding home. And, this is key, they’re both about 5 minute reads and work for literally any age. I still enjoy a little Harold now and then. Anything more than that is a book that’s going to pinch someone strangely. And I would rather someone completely reject the books that I love than decide that reading a book isn’t for them and they’re going to go barefoot the rest of their life.
Because it’s more important to your mental health to find the book that fits you than to shove yourself into someone else’s taste that’s just going to pinch and blister and give you pain.
Intellectual Property of Elizabeth Doman
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